Renewable energy sources could soon heat some of the UK's most iconic buildings in a step to replace dirty energy sources.
According to the Guardian, the Houses of Parliament's 1,000 buildings and the National Gallery could soon be heated by the River Thames, London Underground, and sewer networks.
The UK government set out a plan on Nov. 6 to create a heat network that would "supply decarbonized heat to buildings across Westminster." Excess heat from the underground, Thames, and sewer networks would be used to power central heating systems and hot water.
This network is one of seven that the government has pledged to back with £5 million (over $6 million) of public funding. The £1 billion (over $1.25 billion) project involves two energy companies in the area, Hemiko and Vital Energi.
This type of heat sourcing isn't new. Europe has also been capturing excess heat from various sources, such as transport networks, data centers, and supermarkets. Waterways and sewers can also be used to power heat pumps.
While heat networks only meet 3% of the UK's heating needs, by 2050, they could provide "almost a fifth of all heating," per the Guardian.
Minister for energy consumers Miatta Fahnbulleh said, "Taking waste heat from the River Thames and London Underground to heat such iconic places as the Houses of Parliament and the National Portrait Gallery is a really exciting example of what lies ahead on our journey to low-cost, low-carbon heating."
She added, "This project will help support hundreds of jobs and make bold new strides towards boosting our energy security."
The Guardian also noted that the project is "designed to save the area about 75,000 tonnes (over 82,600 U.S. tons)" of polluting gases yearly.
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Reducing the amount of toxic gases can benefit a community. According to NASA, improved air quality would improve the community's health and prevent economic losses. For example, research shows that keeping below the 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit limit would "prevent about 4.5 million premature deaths, 1.4 million hospitalizations and emergency room visits, 300 million lost workdays, 1.7 million incidences of dementia, and 440 million tons of crop losses in the United States."
Chief executive of Hemiko Toby Heysham said, "Steps like this show that the UK heat networks market is open for business."
While heat networks are on the rise, community solar energy is also an excellent option for reducing polluting gases and saving money. It could be readily available in your area.
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